“…By the way, I can understand who the others are, but who is he, exactly?”
“Rey is a demon entrusted with restoring the dungeon. He also prepared the resurrection potion to bring you back.”
No, at this point, it’s safe to say Fiona-sama’s determination triumphed.
Between me, who just prepared the treasure chest and occasionally opened it, and Fiona-sama, who diligently poured her magic into it every day.
It’s obvious whose effort made the difference.
“My apologies for the trouble I caused. I am grateful to you, Sir Rey.”
“Oh, no. It wasn’t me, but the Demon Lord who—”
“It seems we were all brought back to life thanks to the Demon Lord and Rey~!”
“He’s someone dependable, even taking care of intruders in the dungeon.”
“He’s also building inns and shops. Before long, this place will be comfortable again.”
The overly high praise from the Four Generals is embarrassing.
Not just Fiona-sama, but if you all spoil me like this, I’ll end up slacking off.
“I see… I’m counting on you, Sir Rey. I’m Ripianem, a woman whose only talent is fighting.”
“Nice to meet you, Ripianem-san. I’m not much of a fighter, so I’ll be relying on you.”
“Rey’s really weak, after all.”
“The Four Generals are just too strong!”
Well, yes, I’m pretty weak, but it’s also true that the Four Generals are absurdly powerful.
When I responded as usual to Pilkaya’s teasing, Ripianem paused to think before speaking.
“You don’t seem to use honorifics with Pilkaya.”
“Oh, right. It must seem disrespectful for a newcomer to be so familiar.”
“No, if you’re not using honorifics with Pilkaya or the others, then there’s no need to with me either.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is…”
For now, it’s just Fiona-sama and the Four Generals, so it’s fine. But when the rest of the Demon Lord’s army revives, what’s going to happen?
I’ll probably end up getting hated for being an arrogant newcomer.
For now, I’ll just do as I’m told.
“Alright then, nice to meet you again, Ripianem.”
Satisfied with my words, Ripianem gave a faint smile.
Unlike Primilla , she doesn’t seem completely devoid of expression.
She’s a demon who gives the impression of a calm, mature woman.
…Now that I think about it, what’s her status?
Ripianem
- Magic: 88
- Strength: 120
- Skill: 99
- Toughness: 81
- Agility: 120
“…Sir Rey. Did you do something to me?”
“Huh? What do you mean? As you can see, I haven’t done anything weird.”
“…I see. My apologies. It felt strange, as though I was being probed.”
…Sorry. I know exactly why.
“Sorry, I took a look at your status without permission.”
“What, you even possess such a power, Sir Rey? In that case, there’s no issue. Knowing the capabilities of your subordinates is essential.”
“I don’t consider you my subordinate, though.”
Aren’t you Fiona-sama’s subordinate?
It’d be presumptuous to call myself your equal, let alone consider the Four Generals as subordinates.
“No, as I mentioned earlier, fighting is all I can do. From now on, I’ll wield this sword under the direction of the Demon Lord and you, Sir Rey.”
“I kind of get what you’re saying, but…”
“It’s nice that you two are getting along, but shouldn’t we move on to the main reason Ripianem was revived?”
Close call. I almost forgot.
Setting aside the matter of subordinates for now, Fiona-sama revived Ripianem to solve the issue with that beastman.
The lion beastman named Luf. We need to put a stop to his rampage.
In other words, Ripianem will be tasked with defeating him.
“Fiona-sama, should we have Ripianem fight that lion beastman?”
“Yes, Ripianem will surely emerge victorious.”
“Leave it to me. That lion beastman is a worthy opponent.”
“Alright then, I’ll share the location~!”
Pilkaya shared the location not just with Ripianem, but with all of us.
Luf was still in the dungeon, fighting gargoyles.
Judging by his seamless maneuvers, it’s clear he’s well on his way to conquering the dungeon again.
“Oh… my kin, is it?”
“Looks like it~. Then why not settle this cleanly with a one-on-one duel?”
“…I’m not fond of your phrasing, but if it’s for the Demon Lord, I have no reason to refuse.”
“Alright then, let’s head to the beastman. Follow me.”
Will we make it in time? The gargoyles still have numbers, so we’ll probably encounter him right after the battle.
I created a path connecting the underground demon world and the beastman’s dungeon, traveling with Ripianem.
“Sir Rey, your power is incredible.”
“Well, this is all I’m good at. And I’m sorry, but I can’t go any further. I messed up last time, and they warned me not to risk getting attacked by the beastman.”
“That’s fine. It’s my job from here. I’ll return soon.”
With those dependable words, Ripianem advanced into the beastman’s dungeon.
Since Pilkaya kept our vision linked, I reset the path. I’ll recreate it when she returns.
For now, I’ll just watch her strength, trusted by Fiona-sama and the others.
◇
When I first heard about it, I was intrigued.
A dungeon that many beastmen visit. If the rumors are true, it’s the perfect place to test my abilities.
But when I actually visited, I was disappointed.
Sure, monsters appear, but what makes the dungeon difficult isn’t the monsters—it’s the maze and the poison. It’s far from the challenge I was hoping for.
Still, I thought there might be something worth seeking deeper in, so I teamed up with other beastmen to break through the maze and poison.
What awaited us beyond that was a large number of Gargoyle.
I see, this is where I can finally enjoy fighting a true opponent.
The maze and poison act as filters, and only those who can overcome them are rewarded with this challenge.
Then, this is a fitting reward for myself, so I’ll enjoy it.
I defeated the Gargoyle and pushed forward.
There were still annoying traps, but the thought that more powerful enemies awaited made the challenge enjoyable.
I continued, overcoming the traps, fighting monsters as rewards, and repeating the process.
In the end, I fought against a gargoyle horde far greater in number than before, and finally, it was over…
“The Poison Amulet, huh… so this means that on my second attempt, they want to skip the most troublesome traps.”
It seems the Demon Lord, the master of the dungeon, was considerate of those attempting it again.
Then, I’ll honor that and rise to the challenge. I was prepared to lose my life in the battle with the gargoyle horde.
I wanted to relive the excitement I felt back then.
…But I’ve become used to it.
At this point, the gargoyle horde isn’t enough to challenge me.
“It’s time, I suppose…”
No matter how many times I conquer the dungeon, I never find the fight I long for.
Yet, I know of nowhere else that can satisfy my desires.
So, today as well, I find myself heading back into the dungeon I’ve already become so accustomed to.
As usual, I made my way to the deepest chamber, but the familiar Gargoyle were nowhere to be found.
Instead, standing proudly in the center was a woman.
…A Dragonkin? Have I been beaten to it?
“You are the one who continues to conquer this dungeon, I take it?”
“Yeah. Though it seems I’m a bit late this time.”
“My name is Ripianem. By the Demon Lord’s command, I have come to take your life.”
…Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?
The woman before me is strong. And now, she’s going to fight me to the death.
The Demon Lord has judged me worthy of death.
If that’s the case, I will respond with all my might.
With one step, I leaped toward Ripianem.
Without hesitation, I swung my sword horizontally, delivering a strike that could sever even the stone bodies of the Gargoyle.
But it was effortlessly blocked.
“Haha… I suppose this is nothing compared to the Gargoyle.”
There was no response. And no sense of discomfort.
That only means she’s taking this fight seriously. In fact, it was I who was rude for speaking unnecessarily.
So… this must be the fitting end for someone as foolish as I am.
I didn’t see it coming. I couldn’t react. I didn’t even notice I’d been struck.
Ah… the difference in our abilities was this vast.
It was truly an amazing experience…
I thank you… Ripianem…
